1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a combined floral display and keepsake container, and more particularly, to such a combination in which the bottom part of the keepsake container is positioned below the floral arrangement and the top of the keepsake container is positioned on the side of the arrangement as a decoration. The keepsake container maintains its decorative and useful functions after the floral arrangement has been discarded.
2. Description of Prior Art
Floral and other decorative arrangements are common gifts for a variety of occasions. It is popular among florists to sell floral arrangements along with keepsakes or decorative objects, such as decorative crystal or glass containers, that continue to have usefulness and meaning to the recipient of the gift after the floral arrangement is no longer fresh and has been discarded.
In the prior art, there are four general types of devices available for such purposes.
(1) Florists have tied keepsakes to the sides of floral arrangements. Although these devices are simple, they are difficult to transport, store and deliver. In addition, it is often difficult to simply attach a keepsake to a floral arrangement without an attachment mechanism designed specifically for such a purpose.
(2) Keepsakes and floral arrangements have been combined where the keepsakes are positioned in a floral foam block along with the flowers. These arrangements are easier to transport than devices that tie the keepsakes to the sides of the arrangements. Placing the keepsake into the foam, however, limits both the flexibility of the keepsake and the floral bouquet. The bottom of the keepsake must be made so that it can be inserted into the foam. The keepsake must also be relatively tall to extend above the bouquet. Conversely, the floral arrangements must be relatively small so that the keepsake can be seen above the flowers.
(3) Keepsakes and floral arrangements have been combined such that the floral arrangements are actually incorporated as part of the keepsakes. In these instances, the keepsakes are not independent from the floral arrangements but rather are integrated into the floral arrangements. If real flowers are used in these floral displays, the displays must be designed so that after the floral arrangements are discarded, the display still has aesthetic appeal. This requires a complicated and more expensive design than if the floral display can simply be discarded along with the flowers. Other designs of this type are specifically for artificial flowers. Typical of this design is U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,498, which describes a combined multi-purpose candle holder and flower arranger. This design, for artificial flowers, has no means for keeping the flowers fresh. In addition, as artificial flowers remain "fresh," the design does not deal with discarding the floral arrangement and hence is not intended or suitable for use independent of the floral arrangement.
(4) Keepsake and floral arrangements have also been combined where the keepsake is a container that holds the floral arrangement when the floral arrangement is fresh and holds other objects when the floral arrangement is discarded. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,403 discloses a container with an invertible lid. In one orientation, a recess in the lid faces upward and a floral arrangement can be inserted into the cavity in the lid. In an inverted orientation, a closed end of the lid faces upward, such that the lid decoratively covers the container. This arrangement, however, is limited in the design of the keepsake container. In addition, it does not provide for a decorative part of the keepsake container to be independently displayed along with the floral arrangement.
The combined flower display and keepsakes in the prior art tend to be either simple but limited in scope, difficult to pack, store and transport, limited in their design, or complicated and for artificial floral arrangements. It should therefore be appreciated that there is a need for a floral configuration that:
(a) displays real flowers along with a keepsake container that, after the floral arrangement is discarded, remains useful and decorative; PA1 (b) is flexible, allowing for a variety of sized bouquets and keepsake containers; and PA1 (c) is easy to store, transport and deliver to the recipient; and PA1 (d) allows for the decorative top of the keepsake container to be displayed along with the floral arrangement.